Moon Tide
by Mowoge
Summary: As a kunoichi, one must always be prepared for the worst. But how can one prepare for dimension traveling into a new reality ? Whatever, Uzumaki-Uchiha Mitsuki will take it all in stride and survive, one does not mess with an angry Kunoichi, too bad some did not get the memo. Or how Mitsuki was sent to the One Piece world and the wheels of fate turned.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Of sacrifice

Mitsuki Uzumaki-Uchiha was quite the peculiar child.

Her parents noticed early on that their daughter was special, a genius among her peers.

Tsubaki Uzumaki was the first to notice as she spent more time raising their child.

Their daughter resembled her father in her coloring.

Pale skin and straight jet-black hair. But she had her mother's almond shaped light purple eyes. She was a beautiful baby. She found herself entranced while looking at her very first born.

Maybe she was biases like every mother, but she would affirm that yes, her child was exceptionally pretty.

No matter, she was the one who noticed first how her Mitsuki – beautiful moon as they aptly named her – took in everything happening around her in a way that made her think that maybe her baby was more aware than she thought.

And she was proven right when Mitsuki spoke for the first time not even a year old and started trying to stand and walk not long after.

Kaien Uchiha was deeply in love with his wife, and even if their wedding had been a difficult one without the support of the clan's elders, he never regretted marrying her.

He would never admit it – not even to Minato who had enough teasing material of their academy years like that, thank you very much – but the birth of his child was the scariest of experience.

He knew that as an Uzumaki his dear wife had enough vitality to put the young Maito Gaï to shame but he will forever be mentally scared of this day. At least the medic-nin had completely healed the crushed bones of his right hand.

Anyway, the moment his little angel was born he fell in love all over again (sadly he knew Minato and Kushina would forever be teasing him for crying rivers at her birth).

His little moon, his Mitsuki was perfect.

While she grew, Mitsuki understood very early that she was different.

She learned too fast and felt a constant need to know more.

Her parents nurtured her and loved her deeply. More, they quenched her thirst of knowledge by providing her the teaching she needed early on. She learned how to be a kunoichi.

By her father she trained her body and learned how to feel and direct her chakra.

By her mother she learned how to read and write – which didn't take long to be honest – and starter her on calligraphy and meditation.

Then came her young aunt Kushina who tough her the art of kenjutsu, only with a bokken since she was still a child.

Even her clever blond and blue-eyed godfather, not to be left out, initiated her in the art of stealth - or silently sneaking to prank unsuspecting clan members.

Her mother was not thrilled to realize her daughter could hide her chakra so perfectly and escape meeting the head of the clan. She was firmly reprimanded when she was found reading on a branch of the sakura tree in the back garden.

The first time she met the head of the clan, she saw something in his eyes that made her want to hide behind her mother. But as a future kunoichi – because an Uchiha does not abandon an eye-battle! - she held his gaze without blinking while graciously bowing with respect like she was taught.

How she managed? Two words. Child. Genius.

She remarked the silent exchange between all the adults present.

The next day she remembered seeing some of the clan discreetly -not really- snooping around during her training.

The next week, she was demonstrating the great-fire ball jutsu in front of her parents, Fugaku-sama and the clan elders.

It was decided that she would enter the academy at the age of four. Her parents weren't thrilled by the idea, but she was happy and excited at the prospect of learning more, so they relented.

She rapidly deflated when she noticed that she already knew the material. And with being tough how to control her chakra flow she could reinforce her body and bit the older kids in sparing.

After a year she graduated but she was not placed in a team.

She was apprenticed under her aunt, the red-hot habanero, Kushina Uzumaki.

While sure Mitsuki did graduate early and was a genius, her clear purple eyes made everyone think she would never develop the Sharingan.

They were wrong.

She was 5 for her first mission outside of the village. A simple C-rank escort mission that went FUBART. No one was worried since she would be with her jounin instructor, it was practically procedure.

Her parents and godfather whished her safe return.

She had made her first kill then.

When Kushina found her, she had gutted the enemy with precise slice of her tanto. It is while crouching in front of her niece that she noticed the pair of red blood eyes with two tomoes inside of each.

She sharply inhaled and pushed her though about the Sharingan in the back of her mind. Her niece needed her.

The poor little girl made her first kill at five, it was never easy on anyone, genius or not. She held Mitsuki with care and summoned shadow clones to take care of the rest.

It is only when night fell that Mitsuki came out of her stupor and cried her heart out in her aunt's embrace.

Mitsuki coped by rationalizing what happened. She was a kunoichi, she killed in the field of duty. While she would not forget her kills, ever, but she had been prepared to the idea of ending a life.

When she came back home, she was engulfed by the warm embrace of her loving mother – her father had gone on a mission outside – and something inside of her that she had feared went forever cold became warm again.

The awakening of her Sharingan brought a new light to her carrier as a kunoichi in regard of the clan.

While before they were content in leaving her be, her awakening the famed dojutsu despite her eye color awoke the interest of the clan.

She was pushed to perform better, and had additional training given.

While Mitsuki learned everything very fast her parents worried about her, after all she was only a 5-years-old genin.

Her skills grew and she flourished under the teaching of the clan, her parents and her aunt. She had the Uchiha taijutsu down with an orientation to speed and flexibility and her kenjutsu was pretty good for someone so small. She could do B-rank jutsus of every element thanks to her mixed blood – what with the fire and thunder orientation on her father's side and water and earth orientation on her mother's side - vast reserve of chakra and hard work.

A bit after her sixth anniversary, Kushina announced her pregnancy and the overjoyed Minato was endlessly teased by her father.

In the same month she took the chunin exam and her dojutsu developed with a third tomoe. She did not aim for jounin right after. She still needed to work on her skills and her mother's clan fūinjutsu, which she until now had pushed aside in favor of ninjutsu.

With her focused on honing her skills and in between missions inside the village since she had no team yet and Kushina was out of duty, she rapidly became proficient in fūinjutsu – she used the Sharingan to memorize the thousands of symbols needed – and hoped to become a seal master like her mother, godfather and aunt.

She found the art really fascinating and was happy spending more time with her aunt and mother to learn, as Minato had very little time as hokage.

Sadly, every good thing has an end.

On the night of her sixth birthday, after she received all her gifts and wished everyone goodnight, she eavesdropped a discussion between her parents, the heavily pregnant Kushina and Minato. The young hokage admitted that if the Kyubi escaped during the birth of their son, Minato would have to use the **Shiki Fūjin** to summon the Shinigami and seal the demon inside of their new born.

Of course, this was just in case of the worst happening, but as their only family they asked that should they die her parents were to take custody of the child. Minato and Kushina had everything legalized.

Mitsuki could not let that happen, in good conscience and because she already deeply loved her unborn cousin she intervened and surprised them all by her logic.

She argued that should the worst happen, the demon had to be sealed inside of her. Her parents immediately wanted to oppose but she pushed on.

She stated that she had better chances of surviving than a new born because she had more chakra but was still young enough to accept a tailed beast inside of her, in fact as an Uzumaki - even a half one - she was realistically the perfect candidate compared to baby Naruto.

She mainly spoke to Minato and not as her godfather but as the hokage. She urged him to think about the safety of the village first. Proving her genius further she even argued that should Naruto become a jinchuriki the council would never allow her parents his custody, as to not upset the balance of power inside the village and because of other darker schemes.

But if it was her, as a chunin and established member of two notable clans, they would not be able to do much without angering the Uchiha, the Uzumaki and maybe even the Senju.

In the end, and with a heavy heart, they agreed with her, but her mother would be the one performing the seal to avoid losing the hokage. Her father was torn between raging against their decision and agreeing as it was his duty to protect the hokage and the village.

Mitsuki reminded them that all of this was just worst-case scenario, they just had to make sure everything went well.

She spent the rest of the night with them, huddled together and in deep thought, in their warmth she fell asleep dreaming of fire and cries.

…

Her dream became reality.

She did not know who this masked man was, but he attacked Kushina and freed the demon fox. The village was partly destroyed, her godfather was fighting the masked man with her dad, Kushina in her last moment was restraining the demon with her chakra chains and her mother was painting the seal on her belly with her blood while she stood alert and ready to react.

Once her mother finished, they looked at each other, their sadness leaking from their eyes, they exchanged their last farewell.

"I love you mom." Sobbed the young kunoichi.

"I love you, my little moon" she responded with a smile "take care of your father for me, ne?"

"Count on me…" her voice cracked on the last words she pronounced "Have a safe trip."

"Iterashaï."

With a last seal her mother summoned the Shinigami and jailed the demon inside of her dear daughter. Then the Shinigami pulled out her soul from her frozen form end ate it before disappearing.

The image was burned in the retina of the activated Sharingan of the young girl.

She did not remember much after that.

The seal was successfully activated but the pain had paralyzed her, her eyes were burning, and she was losing consciousness. Kushina fell beside her mother's body and baby Naruto was crying his heart out.

At one moment, the enemy had grabbed her and had tried to vanish with a space time jutsu, but her father intervened with his own.

The two-power clashed, she was displaced and in her father's arms and felt a strange sensation of pulling and then nothing.

Darkness took over.

**A/N: First of all thank you for for reading, hope you enjoyed. Second, English is not my first langage so please be patient with me. Finally, I have no schedule for the updates so it's gonna be totally random and gonna depends on how much time I have to write since I am quite busy. **

**Anyway, see you soon ! ;) **


	2. Chapter 2

**Naruto is Masashi Kishimoto's/ One Piece is Eiichirō Oda's. I only own my OCs and the original parts of the plot. **

Chapitre 2 : Of questioning.

The first to wake up was Mitsuki. The little girl struggled to open her eyes.

She felt warm, as if she had spent the day sleeping under the sun like a Nara.

Wait… she was sleeping outside!

Her eyes immediately snapped open and tried to analyze her surroundings. She was in a forest, but she did not recognize the type of plants and trees. This was not the Hashirama forest that was the pride of her village.

How did she end up here?

… oh.

They were attacked and the Kyubi attacked.

Her mom …

She could not bring herself to finish that though.

But what about the others? And, where was she?

She tried to move, but a paralyzing pain kept her from moving. She only succeeded in turning her head on her the left side.

She felt her heart skip a beat. Her dad was not far from her, but unmoving. God not him too! Please!

Was he breathing? And his chakra… she breathed a sigh of relief, she could still feel her father's chakra. But why was he unconscious? He did not have the signs of chakra exhaustion from what she could feel.

She focused on him and tried to detect any injurie. There! A head injury. Did not seem severe but you could never be sure, and she was no medic nin.

"Dad." She tried to call but her voice was so weak, and her throat was burning. "Dad! Wake up! **DAD**!" she screamed with all she had left.

She started coughing violently, the tremors adding to her pain, and her eyes watered. She had a hard time breathing. God was she going to die by suffocation because of dry throat? What a pathetic way to go.

She felt warm, slightly trembling, arms encircle her body. Her first reaction would have been to grab a kunai, but she was essentially paralyzed, and she knew who was holding her.

"Tsuki-chan… it's ok, I got you little moon". A southing hand was running up and down her back while she rested her head on his left shoulder.

"Dad…" she strained her watery eyes "you ok?".

The corner of his lips lifted a little at that. "I should be the one asking, Tsuki-chan. How do you feel?" he asked worried for his baby girl. She was so small in his arms.

"Can't move" she frowned "I think my chakra system is slightly burned but I can still mold my chakra…it's just painful. Should be temporary".

She felt her father's embrace tighten.

"Dad… mom she…" Mitsuki could not finish her sentence as she felt her tears welling up. She lifted her teary eyes to her father "I… the seal." And now she was outright crying. Her face was a mess of salty tears.

"I know baby girl, I know." Her father rested his head in the crook of her neck, she felt him slightly trembling and his silent tears gathered on her chunin uniform.

She did not know how long they stayed like this, sharing their pain.

…

Daughter and father were now sitting, well more like Mitsuki was resting on her father's lap.

"Where are we dad?"

"I don't know, I have never seen this type of forest anywhere" responded her father while examining the flora and rubbing his head, feeling an incoming headache. Great.

"How did we end up here? I remember the fighting and mom, she fell" her throat felt tight "I think I was grabbed by the masked enemy nin and then you came to my rescue."

Kaien deeply inhaled, "An Uchiha".

"What?", said Mitsuki confused.

"The enemy nin was an Uchiha. He freed the Kyubi and used his eyes to control the beast."

Mitsuki was lost. "It's impossible!".

"…"

"Dad?"

"There is more to the Sharingan than what is commonly known Mitsuki". She felt the unease in her father's voice.

"Dad, what are you not telling me?"

He sighted, "There is one more stage to the Sharingan called the Mangekyô Sharingan."

She gasped. As her father's eyes adopted the look of a full Sharingan, they morphed to a form she had never seen before. It was like the three tomoes had assembled to resemble a shuriken. "Those eyes are particularly powerful Mitsuki. They were what made Madara so fearsome. One of their notable aspect is the power to invade the mind of someone, or…"

"A tailed beast… and to control them!" finished Mitsuki, ever the bright child she was fast to deduct what her father meant. She was in deep though. "But dad, why is it I never heard of the Mangekyô before?"

He sighted, again, "Because not many awoke them". He started petting her silky black hair, "Apart from me and our ancestor, I never heard of anyone else with those eyes. Some conditions are required to get them."

"I imagine those conditions are not easily met, right?"

"No, you must have a fully developed Sharingan and go through a really traumatic and painful event. At the awakening, you would feel your eyes burning. I can't say much more, after all I was the only one with those eyes, well until recently that is."

Mitsuki felt she was missing something important. How could there be so few awakening those eyes? The life of a shinobi was a painful one after all. So how? Burning eyes, painful experience, possibly extrem sadness or rage felt.

Wait, _burning eyes_.

"So, the loss of a loved one, in a stressful and/or painful situation, would supposedly awaken the Mangekyô?" murmured Mitsuki, bangs hiding her facial expression.

Her father nodded his head sadly agreeing. "Yes, the loss of a loved one" he replied thinking of how he awakened his Mangekyô.

She grabbed his sleeve, "Dad, I think…". The rest was muttered so softly, he did not understand what his daughter was trying to say.

"Little moon?", he asked petting her hair, "I couldn't hear you, mind repeating?".

Slowly, she lifted her eyes. His eyes went wide open, just like his mouth and his hand froze on her head.

"They changed, right?", she said, deducting from his expression that, yes, her eyes had changed with the chakra she had infused in them.

Kaien went from shock and surprise to profound sorrow and worry for his baby girl. He hugged her tightly, feeling her trembling little form relax against him.

Damn, Damn, Damn! Not his little moon. He did not want her to have those accursed yes. Not now or ever. He omitted a lot when he told her about the Mangekyô. He did not want to tell her about the price one had to pay for those eyes.

He observed her dojutsu. Her Mangekyô was different from his, it had a red six branch shuriken and inside it had a black three branch shuriken that looked like his own dojutsu. Her eyes resembled a lotus to him. His daughter always tended to surpass exaptation even where there were none, he thought in a mix of sadness and resignation.

It was Mitsuki who broke the moment by asking another question.

"But then how did we end up here?"

"I have an idea".

She tilted her head to show she was listening.

Her father continued, "The masked nin was an Uchiha who awoke the Mangekyô. One of the many powers of the dojutsu is the possession of a space time jutsu. When he tried to kidnap you, I grabbed you and I remember using **Kamui** to get you somewhere safe. I think he wanted to stop me by using his own **Kamui** and our jutsu clashed together. It seems it had unforeseen effects. It transported us somewhere else." He lifted his eyes to the forest," but I do not know where."

…

"What now?"

"Standard procedure, little moon. Find shelter, food and intel. The sun is still high, it's not far from noon. We still have our ration bars and emergency food" she nodded. "We should move and try to find a village or shelter since food is not a priority for now."

"I can barely move." Admitted Mitsuki.

"Don't worry baby girl, I will carry you on my back." he gently placed her on his back, "you good?"

She gently hugged him, "yes dad."

"Let's go then." And he started hopping form tree to tree careful not to jolt his daughter too much.

"I'm sorry" she couldn't stop herself.

"Little moon? Sorry about what?" asked her Kaien.

"Because of me" She started sobbing, "mom she… I am so sorry." Now she was crying, and she could not stop her tears. Her breath quickened, she felt she was going to hyperventilate. But she felt so guilty. She was the one to propose the plan. To switch place with Naruto – and she did _not_ regret her sacrifice! – but her mother!

Kaien stopped on the branch of a high tree and faced his daughter. His expression was extremely serious and pained.

"Now listen and listen well Mitsuki. Your mother and I were perfectly aware of what would happen should the demon be released." He made sure to hold her gaze, "be it your mother or myself, as your parents, we would do anything to protect you. As shinobi, we would do anything to protect the village and by extension the place our loved ones live in." He sighted and embraced her, "the death of your mother was not a sacrifice, Tsuki-chan, it was an act of love. I am sure she would do it all over again if it means to keep you safe."

Mitsuki sniffled and let her father erase her tears with his callous thumb.

"…she made me promise to take care of you, dad." She looked at him with determination, "I will keep my promise to her."

Kaien felt his heart tighten in love and sorrow, "we will take care of each other, little moon."

…

Mitsuki felt tired, she knew she needed rest, but now was not the moment. From the position of the sun, they had less than two hours left before the night. She was aware that the minute they stopped for the night, she would start thinking about things she did not want to think about. Not now. She was not ready.

She took example on her father and soldiered on, because for Kami's sake she was a full fledged kunoichi. Albeit a useless one for now, but still! She was Mitsuki Uzumaki-Uchiha, six years old chunin of the leaf. Prodigy of her clan. Promising seal-master. Jinchuri-…

Ah, let's not got there for now. This was too fresh, she did not feel ready for this can of worms.

She concentrated on her sensing her surroundings. While she could not move yet, she could still manipulate her chakra, albeit it was a bit sluggish. Sensing was not her specialty contrary to her father, but she was a decent sensor.

She was a bit late, but she felt numerous chakras, civilian level, straight ahead. She had no doubt her father had sensed it too, as he accelerated a bit earlier.

Time to find out where exactly they landed.

**Happy New Year! ^^ **


	3. Chapter 3

**Naruto is Masashi Kishimoto's/ One Piece is Eiichirō Oda's. I only own my OCs and the original parts of the plot. **

Chapter 3: Of discoveries.

Kaien was well aware that his daughter wasn't in the best condition. He could feel how she tried to stretch her chakra, how slow it was. It probably was hurting her, knowing the state of her chakra pathway.

Well they would soon have the answers to their questions and a roof for the night if what he felt ahead was to be believed.

Mitsuki observed the village they were in, her head lazily resting on her father's shoulder. The place was strange. And the people too.

The houses were weirdly shaped, they were foreign to her. The roofs weren't flat, like in Konoha, to facilitate the path for shinobis. It was also a colorful place, the houses went from yellow, to green and even pink.

It hurts just looking at it she remarqued. Too. Bright.

The habitants looked like they were from Kumo, they were tanned and had all manners of hair colors. They clothes were quite simple, even if some of them, she found, were dressed weirdly. Strange high hats and puffy dresses. Totally impractical.

What a weird place though Mitsuki. Unbestkown to her, her father felt the same way.

'It isn't good.' Though Kaien. 'there is nothing familiar, and by the stares we keep receiving, we stand out. I need to find shelter, Mitsuki is tired, she needs more sleep to recover.' He frowned 'I also need a medic to look after my head injury, I ignored it, but I can't sleep before I am sure I will be able to wake up.'

After wandering for a bit, Kaien found a decent inn at the outskirt of the village. Ever the ninja, he entered silently, his daughter still on his back, and approached the counter. They were the only one inside, not counting the young woman behind the counter.

The waitress did not notice him immediately, since she had her back turned to him. 'civilian' he reminded himself. He cleared his throat and she jumped, startled.

"Oh, I am sorry, I did not mean to startle you, young miss." Said Kaien, offering her the smile he reserved the civilians he had to interact with.

"It's ok" she smiled "Welcome to the Pot Au Feu, how can I help you sir?" She wore a dark green dress with a white apron. She was bit chubby and had freckles around a high nose. Brown hair, dark-brown eyes. Quite banal.

"I am looking for a room."

"Of course, sir!" she beamed at him "Do you want a king-sized bed or two beds?" she asked looking at the girl resting on his back. She did notice that they looked alike, noble traits, probably same family so she did not worry about them sharing a bed. And well, he was quite the handsome man. She blushed a bit at her thoughts.

Mitsuki lifted her head and glared at the woman after noting her reaction to her father.

The woman gulped.

"King-sized" coldly answered the young kunoichi.

Kaien feigned a laugh, "you heard my daughter, king-sized please."

The woman deflated slightly hearing that the young girl was his daughter, he was probably married. Shame.

"No problem!" she said. "Ok, that will be 50 berrys per night, how long do you plan to stay?"

Kaien and Mitsuki both froze. Berry? What was that? Currency, they guessed. But they never heard of it before, which was worrisome considering their situation.

"Can we pay with Yen?"

"Yen?" The woman tilted her head and frowned before scowling, "never heard of that. If you can't pay, please leave! We have no place for beggars." She retorted rudely.

Mitsuki tensed and Kaien sighted, she left him no choice. He activated his dojutsu, **Kotoamatsukami**!

The woman's eyes glazed.

"You will give us the room for as long as we desire and never question our payment or our presence. We will also get free meals. Give us the key and direct us to our room, then go fetch a medic, you will be the one to pay for his services understood?" firmly ordered Kaien.

"What is a medic?" Asked the woman, voice devoid of emotions. He frowned.

"A healer, someone proficient in the art of healing, clear?" he replied.

She nodded, grabbed a key and started to walk in the direction of the stairs, to their room.

Mitsuki squeezed her father's shoulder, did her father really took over someone's mind? "Dad?"

He patted her hand, "later, baby girl."

They stopped when they reached a plain door. The woman opened the door and led them inside, giving the key to her father and without a word, she left.

Both daughter and father sighted in exhaustion.

"Ok, little moon, I am going to let you rest on the bed. You need to sleep while I let the medic check my head. You're not injured right?".

She shook her head, "No physical injuries, dad." She hesitated slightly before adding, "will you tell me more about the Mangekyô?"

He sat next on the bed, next to her. "Later, Tsuki-chan. When we are both better and in security, ok?"

Mitsuki felt her eyes grow heavy. She was so tired. But she did not want to sleep. She had this irrational fear that, if she closed her eyes, her father would not be here when she woke up.

"You need to sleep my little moon." Her father told her softly. Her started getting her shoes and chunin vest off, then he tucked her in. He found a bitter kind of humor in the fact that it was the first time he had to do that for a chunin. His precious daughter was so young, and already she had killed and knew the taste of blood. He clenched his teeth. How unfair.

He was surprised when the small hand of Mitsuki grabbed his sleeve.

"Stay?" she asked sleepily.

"Of course, Tsuki-chan." He smiled a her.

Her eyes were closing. "Don't leave…"

His eyes softened considerably. "Never" he promised.

His daughter was only a six years old kid, never mind the fact that she was a genius, she needed him, and he would be there for her.

Forever.

_…_

_3 years later… _

_…_

Deep inside a forest, a young girl was meditating under a tree. Eyes closed and chakra spread to the maximum, she tried to feel her surroundings. She stretched her perception, focused on her senses.

Her left ear twitched at a rustle of leaves… just a squirrel. She inhaled deeply, a wolf pack passed here two days ago.

From the right! She tilted her head to the side and avoided the stone her father had thrown at her. She smirked.

"Dad, I know you are here."

"Good job, baby girl." Said the man, jumping from his position high in a tree, to stop next to her, without a sound. "How is it going with the furball?"

She sighted deeply, "same as always, I just spend a few hours monologuing to him, while he ignored me." She shrugged.

"Well, I still don't know why you keep trying, I mean it is a tailed beast, little moon, no one befriends them." He sat next to her.

"Has anyone ever tried? I mean, come on dad, look at it from his perspective. How would you feel if you were jailed because of power hungry people?" She asked him, leaning her head on his laps. He started running his fingers through her hair.

"Well, I would be angry and violent, for sure."

"It's not his fault, you know. The attack, I mean."

"I know, baby girl. I am just worried about you" he sighted, "what if he harmed you? Or worst". She felt him tense.

"I just have to befriend him before anything happens."

**_In your dreams, human. _**

She smiled lightly, "he is lonely you know."

"He told you so?" Replied her father surprised, having a hard time picturing the Kyubi doing so.

"No, but it's clear in the way he speaks and acts, so I will be his friend even if he refuses."

Kaien laughed lightly at his daughter confidence in befriending the Kyubi. She always had a good heart. He started playing with her hair and think about those past three years.

It came to a real shock when they realized they would not be going back to Konoha. Or the elemental nations for that matter.

They had gone through space and time, quite literally, and ended up in a new world, or dimension he wasn't sure. The map of the world showed vast oceans, only one continent and numerous islands.

It came to his understanding that the world was divided in seas, with the most dangerous one being the GrandLine, also the one where not all islands where discovered yet or reported since the information from there was quite scarce.

There was the world government, a highly corrupted judicial system from what information he gathered. The Tenryûbito which apparently controlled them and where the equivalent of the Daimyo, but without anyone to control their policy, clearly stupid aristocrats full of themselves. And finally, the pirates which weren't necessarily bad people and had four Yonkos as sort of leaders or figures of power, considered as the greatest menace against the marine and potential pirate king.

Actually, how can pirates have a king? How does it work?

Oh, and let's not forget about the revolutionary army. People who wanted to get rid of the World Government.

And there was also the matter of the devil fruits, which apparently once eaten bestowed a power to the person in exchange of their ability to swim. Most of those fruits went to pirates and marines.

How stupid did they have to be to eat such a thing? Kaien was appalled, for people who spent their lives on sea, to give up on the ability to swim…

Well, at least a good suiton was enough to get ride of them, he relativized. How kind of them to facilitate his work.

Kaien and Mitsuki had decided to become mercenaries. This was the closes job to their original career they could find as shinobis. They hunted bounties, did some information gathering and used them to their advantage. Sometimes they would accept assassination request, but they always made sure to check on their client and target before. Just to make sure it did not go against their nindo.

They were stealthy, always wore his ANBU mask, codename Tora (tiger) – he had a few copies - on missions and constantly moved. But they never entered GrandLine.

They had a good reason.

Training.

They were currently in some deserted island and today was special. His dear daughter was signing a summoning contract. To be precise, his summoning contract.

"What are you thinking about, dad?"

Kaien blinked before grinning. "Of how proud I am of my little moon!"

"Hun." Was her response. He was amused to see her turn her head to try and hide a blush.

"Well," he patted her head one last time before moving "ready to sign the contract?"

"Haï, dad. I just hope they accept me." She admitted.

"Don't worry, they already love you", he laughed but it was true. His summons were quite fond of his daughter, even the proud Tomune. "Well, here goes nothing." He bit his thumb and rapidly executed the hand signs required. **Kuchiyose no Jutsu!**"

A cloud of smoke, and then a boy's voice. "Kaien-sama?" In front of them stood a four feet tall tiger cub, with a fluffy white and brown pelt and nin jacket.

"Oh, Mitsuki-sama is here too." He smiled a tiger smile, which meant a lot of sharp teeth, "long time no see." He then proceeded to wave he paw.

"Hello, Todo-kun," the shinobi smiled and Mitsuki waved at the tiger-nin.

"Kaien-sama, how can I help?" Asked the cub.

"I need the contract for my daughter". The feline gasped.

"Right away, Kaien-sama." He opened his maw to show a seal on his tongue which activated. A small poof and a red gold-trimmed scroll was now in his jaw.

…

Night came and Mitsuki laid next to her father, happy to finally be able to summon the tiger-nins.

"How long do you think the training is going to take, dad?"

The man hummed, "We have a lot to go through, baby girl, knowing you? Well, two years." She nodded.

"And then? Where should we go?"

"How do you feel about an island where winter is eternal?"

"There was never much snow at home, right?... Yes, I'd like to go there, dad." She answered closing her eyes.

He patted he head, "It's a promise then."

'Hopefully not the last one I will make' he though somberly.


	4. Chapter 4

**Naruto is Masashi Kishimoto's/ One Piece is Eiichirō Oda's. I only own my OCs and the original parts of the plot. **

Chapter 4: Of Father.

_18 months later… _

She silently ran through the forest, trying to stay undetected. She wasn't fooling herself, knowing he was a great sensor and tracker. She certainly will be found. It was fine. She just needed to place one more seal.

Done!

Now, to find him.

KABOUM!

Or to be found… Damn explosive tags. She which she did not give him a full stack before starting! Damn! She jumped on a high branch to avoid a punch a grabbed her tanto from her back.

She saw him take his own tanto. She engaged first and jumped at him with great speed.

Their movements were extremely fast. Too fast for the untrained eyes.

Righ. Left. Above, she parried each hit with her own. He reached further but she was faster. Sadly, not fast enough to end the fight with kenjutsu only.

She was prepared.

Eyes blazing red, she jumped back a few feet from him and made one hand seals all the while keeping her tanto at the ready.

He was mimicking her movements with his own red pupils.

**"Katon: Great Fire Ball Jutsu!" **

Both spew a big ball of fire from their mouth. They used the same amount of chakra, so no one had the upper hand, but it gave her the distraction she needed. She executed another technique while her father could not see her.

**"Futon: Great Cutting Whirlwind Technique!" **

A powerful gale of wind came out of her mouth, in the direction of the two fire techniques and her opponent. Enhancing her attack, her fire technique won. She did not care about setting the forest on fire, it would not be the first time.

A voice was heard behind her, "you will need to do better than that, baby girl." She received a slice on her back from his tanto.

Mitsuki felt her shadow clone dispel from her position underground. She moved.

**"Doton: head hunter decapitation technique." **

The man jumped high to avoid the hands that tried to grab him from beneath.

"My, my, that wasn't nice, Tsuki-chan" feigned to pout her father. He landed on the bark of the tree, applying chakra to his feet to maintain a vertical position and defy gravity.

His daughter emerged from the ground, silently observing him. "Sorry, I didn't know we were supposed to fight like genins." She taunted with a smirk.

He answered by a smirk a his own, "now that is just plain mean, Tsuki-chan!" He flung a kunai with an explosive tag at her. She deflected it by aiming a shuriken at his kunai. She aimed true.

"Yeah, because throwing explosive tags at your daughter is so much nicer." She deadpanned.

She only needed to activate the seals now.

"From who did you learn sarcasm, huh?" He crossed his arms, like a petulant child. "Damn furball corrupting my baby girl." He muttered.

It was loud enough for her to hear. She made a seal while he was distracted.

**"Fūin: Four-cornered seal barrier." **She whispered while clasping her hands together.

Kaien reacted too late and found himself encased in a cube of chakra. He whistled, impressed by her fūinjutsu and her chakra reserves since it usually took four jounins to execute this technique.

"Dad, please stop calling him that. It's really disturbing to hear Kurama give me details about how he would make you scream if he was in his real form." She retorted with a bit of humor.

He snorted, "he _really_ is a drama queen."

**'You fucking piece of shit!' **Roared the fox in her mind.** 'Who are you calling a drama queen, you meat bag! I will make you eat your-'**

Mitsuki sighted and ignored her companion, used to his hot temper. She released the seal and her father joined her.

"You fought well, little moon", said Kaien while patting her head like usual.

She smiled and shrugged, "you still sensed me, dad."

"Well, I am a sensor after all!" He huffed. "I don't feel like there is much I can teach you anymore Mitsuki." Added her father seriously. "You are far above jounin level already."

He sat and pushed her on his lap and proceeded to play with her hair silently.

"Dad?" asked Mitsuki, wondering what came to him, to adopt such a somber tone.

"She would have been proud of you, baby girl. Of all you accomplished. I don't even know how you managed." He said after a while. Talking about his late wife was always a bit hard for him.

Mitsuki looked at him with the tender love of a daughter to her father.

"I miss her too, dad." She took his other hand in hers. "You know, I am thankful for the Sharingan, it helped a great deal."

"Hum? How?", he wondered what she meant.

"Every time I miss her, I can clearly see her last moments." She whispered softly.

He hugged her tightly eyes a bit glossy. "I'm sorry, baby girl." He said, pained to hear that.

"It's fine. Now it brings me recomfort, especially when I miss her warmth and smile. I close my eyes and I recall what she told me 'I love you, little moon'… It never fails to warm my heart. When you told me about the Mangekyô, you said the Uchiha had cursed eyes. But dad, without those eyes, I would not be able to remember mom's face so clearly. In fact, it helped me keep the memory of a loved one intact. I am lucky, right?"

He produced a wet laugh, throat tight, and kept silent. Her admittance made him think.

…

"I think it's time to leave. I have nothing left to teach you."

"So, we are going to this land of snow you told me about?"

"Yes, we need to prepare first. I will check on our boat, you go fetch as much fruits you can, ok?"

She nodded and disappeared.

He waited a moment, for her signature to be far enough before collapsing his breath growing short and sweat gathering on his forehead. 'Come on! Come on! Stand up!' He greeted his teeth and tried to regulate his breathing. Violent coughing wretched his form.

BLURP.

The man vomited a worrisome amount of blood.

'Just a little bit longer, please Kami, just a little bit longer.' He prayed silently.

Kaien knew he wouldn't live much longer. He was already past his limit. He had hoped for one more year, but it was clear to him that even a month was going to need a miracle.

Once he felt better, he started cleaning the blood on his face. He was ill for a long time now. Since before their unexpected landing in this strange world. They had plans, his wife and him. Tsunade-sama had accepted to examine and heal him under the condition that they had to come to her since she didn't want to set a foot in the village.

But the attack happened and well… his hope of being healed were destroyed. His illness was in his lung and chakra pathway. No doctor here could help since they know about chakra system. He simply gave up and accepted his fate.

Now if only he could hold long enough to reach the old witch. He had one last birthday gift for his precious daughter.

His beautiful, kind and exceptionally strong daughter. He felt immense sorrow at the idea of leaving her forever. Soon, she will be twelve. At the age of graduation for a normal academy student, his daughter was already ANBU level. Heck, he knew that if she really tried, she would bit him.

He sighted. he had preparation to make. They needed to leave as soon as possible.

…

"You weren't lying, dad!" exclaimed an amazed Mitsuki. "It really is a land of snow!". She could not help herself and jump from the marchant boat to the frozen port.

They had to buy a cabin in a merchants' boat to travel but Drum island was very far and the Grand Line dangerous. This allowed for safe travel.

Her father smiled a tired smile. She was worried about him and it was only the fact that he told her that they came to see a certain Doctor Kureha that kept her from looking for one.

Still he refused to tell her what was wrong and always changed subject. She sometimes got frustrated with him and would sulk while he fondly pet her hair and distracted her, telling her stories about his younger years and how he courted her mother.

She actually liked this habit he had to pet her head. But she would never admit it, it was just to embarrassing. She also loved to hear more about her family.

…

Kaien was constantly tired. His lung couldn't take as much oxygen as he needed. They were going to use a strange transportation to reach the old witch's castle.

He knew Mitsuki was worrying and that the only thing keeping her from acting was the fact that they were on they way to see a doctor.

…

"Who the hell are you?" Grunted an old woman in purple leather.

Kaien arched a brow at that and took his ANBU mask out. She inhaled sharply before studying him in more details.

"So, you are Shinobi huh? And I suppose she is Kunoichi?" she said nodding to his daughter.

Mitsuki relaxed her body ready for action but he posed a hand on her shoulder to keep her from attacking.

"You owe us a favor, old witch." She twitched before turning and leaving the door open.

"Hurry the fuck up, gaki! I don't have all day." She scowled. Well rumor had it that she did not like people much.

They found her in a room full a books and jars with strange liquids. Her study probably.

"Sit" she told him imperiously, "your brat can sit outside."

"I will stay" replied a frosty Mitsuki. She did not like how the woman treated her father. She better be a good doctor or else…

"Humph. So, what do you want, Shinobi?" Asked Kureha crossing her arms. She had an idea just by looking at the man. It was bad. She needed to examine him to be sure.

From his sitting position, Kaien took a deep breath, closing his eyes. It wasn't going to be easy. He opened his eyes and squared his shoulder. He did not feel ready. But how could one be ready to tell his daughter he did not have long left to live and that nothing could be done?

"I am dying."

Mitsuki jumped out of her skin as he heart stopped. She must have heart wrong.

"W-what? Dad?" she stuttered and took hand kneeling by his side. "It's not funny dad. Stop it."

He sighed, eyes resigned. "Mitsuki… I am sorry."

Her heart shattered.

**'Brat…'**

"N-no! Stop! Don't tell me you are sorry! Don't call me Mitsuki! B-because if you do that- if you do that then that mean you are telling the truth!" Tears were already falling and she felt him run his other hand trough her hair.

"I am dying, Mitsuki."

"N-no, NO! NO, YOU **AREN'T**!" She screamed. She had difficulty breathing now.

"Baby girl, please…", she felt him grasp her face with care.

Kurama's deep voice adopted a compassionate tone and crushed her illusions. **'He is telling the truth brat. I can smell death on him…no, _in_ him. I am sorry brat.' **

"Ah-ha." Mitsuki grabbed her chest. It hurt. Was it always so hard to breathe? Her breathing accelerated and her vision grew blurry. "S-s-stop it, n-n-not funny." She was a mess and struggled to breath. She felt someone lift her. Probably her dying father.

Dying…

She felt herself loosing consciousness but not before hearing someone speak harshly.

"She-hyperventilating-bed-night-tomorrow morning!"

She embraced darkness, hopping to later wake up and find out that it was all but a nightmare.


	5. Chapter 5

**Naruto is Masashi Kishimoto's/ One Piece is Eiichirō Oda's. I only own my OCs and the original parts of the plot. **

Chapter 5 : Of Last Gift.

Kaien watched his daughter sleep. He knew it wasn't going to be easy, but to see her break like so… it pained him greatly.

There wasn't much that could be done now. He would wait for his death and give her his last gift. Hopefully a cure to the curse they both shared.

He ran his finger in her long silky black hair and took time to memorize her features. She will become a beautiful woman, that much was clear. She had the typical Uchiha beauty and noble traits but Tsubaki's purple eyes.

Her skin was so pale, paler than usual. He sighted.

"You did not come to me to be healed, right?" He turned to look at doctor Kureha, casually leaning against the door frame of the guest room. He frowned and turned back to his daughter.

"No."

"You came to die."

Silence was her answer.

"I don't see why you whish to die in this god forsaken place." The old woman shrugged, "and why you came to me if not for my services."

"I never said I didn't need your services." He told her.

She straightened. "Oh?"

"I want you to pay back your debt to me, a favor for a service, you remember right?"

"Tch, spit it out gaki, what do you really want!" She was losing patience.

He brushed his daughter bangs away, still staring at her face in contemplation.

"At my death, I want you to transfer my eyes to my daughter, you can do that right?" He retorted not even looking at her.

Kureha was surprise, she did not see that one coming. Well rumor had it that you did not see much coming when facing Shinobi and Kunoichi. She never met him personally before, but they exchanged messages. She had needed help against a pirate crew that had been targeting her and he had accepted. The strange thing about it was that he did not accept any payment from her, instead he left her with a message 'A favor for a service. I will come to you'.

She had dismissed the message, she had assumed he would ask for a cure or something. Well she wasn't that far from the truth. But she did not see why he would transfer his eyes to his child. The girl was not blind from what she saw. Maybe she was losing her sight?

"Does she have a degeneration?" She demanded for clarification.

"Of sort, a special one only specific to our family, she will need my eyes." He replied quietly.

Kureha studied him. She saw the crushing sadness he felt. He was resigned and pained. She closed her eyes and sighed, arms crossed against her chest.

"She won't have time to mourn you, the minute you die I will extract your eyes to avoid any necrosis and transfer them to her." She was speaking in a tone that vaguely reminded him of Lady Tsunade.

"You won't be keeping her eyes for someone else." His voice adopted a darker tone as he turned to face her, black pits staring at her. "That is if you know what is best for you." Her threatened.

She felt a chill go down her spine and she scowled. "As if I'd keep a defective pair of eyes!"

He turned back and she huffed. "You can stay here for as long as necessary… your daughter will be fine; her pain is not physical so I can't do shit for her." And at that she left, leaving them alone in the room.

…

Mitsuki felt herself wake up. She felt warm and comfortable. She opened her eyes and looked at the room, spreading her chakra by habit to mentally map her surroundings. She felt her father holding her hand and looked at him. He was sitting next to her bed on an old looking wooden chair.

Her throat constricted.

"I had the worst of nightmare…" she began observing him. His tightened his grip on her hand.

"Baby girl…" She did not let him finish.

"But now that I'm awake and look at you dad, I realize that… it was never a nightmare, right?" her voice wavered, and her eyes teared.

"No, it wasn't." He whispered, looking at her with a pained expression. She sucked a harsh breath.

They stayed silent for a long while, each absorbed by their own thought.

"Why?" She finally asked.

"Why what, baby girl?"

She exhaled, "Why are you dying? What is killing you?" She turned on her side to fully face him, hands clutching his like a life line.

His shoulder slumped, "I contracted an illness before the attack six years ago. Your mother and I never told you because we didn't want you to worry. At the time, we were confidant because Lady Tsunade had accepted to treat me under the condition of meeting her outside of Konoha. Things did not go as planned and you and I ended up in this world."

"But then why did you not seek a doctor here?! What type of illness makes you think you will die! Even then, how did you contract one? There isn't much that can affect a shinobi, we don't fall sick like civilians. We usually only-!" She deflated in realization. "We usually only contract sickness that affects our chakra… is that what it is dad? A disease in your chakra?" She asked quietly.

He smiled slightly. "You have always been smart, Tsuki-chan." He breathed deeply before continuing. "Yes, that exactly what it is. It affects my chakra system around my lungs and slowly constrict them, making it harder for me to breath, my heart has to pump blood harder than normal… in the end, the lack of oxygen or a heart stroke will kill me. Whatever comes first." He shrugged, already used to the idea.

She started crying, resting her head against his hand.

"That's not fair, dad! That's not fair at all! Why you?!"

He joined her on the bed and hugged her, tucking her head against his chest. "There is nothing fair in life or death, Mitsuki. We are born, we live and then we die… Some can choose how to go, others have their life ended prematurely. We are shinobis, death is part of the job description, we give it, or we receive it. One way or another... I don't think we should focus on the end of our journey, but in the journey itself. I like to think that my journey was a great one, full of adventure, sorrow and love. I accepted what was to come a long time ago already, Mitsuki."

His words struck her hard and she cried even harder. She cried for her pain, sorrow and fear of losing him.

…

"Then, why did we come here if not to heal you?". She asked, after crying all the tears she could, after all there was no point in a doctor who did not know a thing about chakra.

"For the last gift I wish to give you." Replied the man, somberly. "I'd like for you to accept it, even if I know it will pain you." He sat and looked at her straight in the eyes. "It is my last wish, a desire for me to see you free."

She sat, eyes puffy and face marked by her tears. She breathed, in and out, and nodded. "Whatever it is, dad. I will respect your wish." After all, it was the words of her dying father. There was no way she was refusing them.

He smiled relieved and said, "My wish is for you to be free of the curse that plagues our blood, free of the curse of the Mangekyô. I wish for you to receive my eyes and by doing so attain the Eternal Mangekyô Sharingan." He saw her eyes widen and her mouth open slightly.

Mitsuki new all there was to know about the Mangekyô and how to avoid losing her sight to the dojutsu. Her father had told her everything she needed, including _the curse of hatred_. She had also pledge to never use the Mangekyô as to not risk blindness. She knew what he was doing, and she couldn't say no.

It was his last wish, no… gift to her.

So, she greeted her teeth, got on her knees and deeply bowed to her father, hands in front of her face, dogeza style.

Her father sharply inhaled. "Baby Gi-." She cut him off.

"I humbly accept you gift, father. Please rest assured," her voice cracked. "that I will forever cherish them, never abusing their power, always following our nindo." She was a Kunoichi of her words. She would keep her promise, no matter what. She maintained her position until she felt his hand on her head.

"Thank you." She heard him say.

Oh, how she will miss her father's presence, his comfort.

…

Mitsuki was pushing the wheel chair to one of the vast balconies of the castle, taking care not to jostle her father's weak form. It was a bright day and a few minutes before sunset; the sun was reflecting on the snow making it look like jewels.

"Are you cold, dad?" she asked softly.

She heard his ragged breath, "I'm ok baby girl."

Kaien did not have the strength to stand on his own anymore. It was more and more difficult to breath. Every day, he prayed for one more day with his daughter. He felt her sit in front of him, and looked down, smiling when she rested her head on his laps. With difficulty, he ran his hand through her hair.

Together they observed the sky slowly turning red and purple.

"The sky reminds me of mom's hair and eyes…"

He hummed in agreement.

Ah… it was really hard to breath… really, really hard.

"She used to sing when cooking, do you remember dad?"

He hummed again, "will you sing for me baby girl?... I'd like to hear her song again…" he asked tiredly.

Just a bit more, he wished, just a little while more with her, please kami.

Mitsuki's throat was tight. She cleared it and close her eyes, trying to remember her mom's song. She inhaled.

_Flower buds that bloomed in spring_

_Petals were carried on summer's wing_

_In my heart a light so warm_

_Feelings forgotten were soon reborn_

_Even with my windows tight_

_Rain drops continue to fall inside_

_Though it's tough, I will not cry_

_After the storm is a bright blue sky_

_'Ah… Tsubaki, it seems that I will see you soon, huh.' _

_In happiness and bitterness_

_I know I'll accept them and keep my head high_

_With my hand in your hand_

_We are connected_

_With courage, I'm sure they can reach_

Kaien felt his heart constrict as his lungs stopped working. He hunched in silent pain intend on listening to his daughter's voice until the end.

_Autumn sweeps across the lake_

_Hidden in trees, winter's wide awake_

_In this world, you'll surely see_

_Kindness is here if you just believe_

It became more difficult to sing for Mitsuki as she heard her father stop breathing. She felt his chakra weakly flickering. She kept her eyes closed as tears fell and sang for him with a trembling voice.

_Every night, I'd make a wish_

_Hoping tomorrow would stay like this_

_Maybe in the days to come_

_Nothing will change how our love begun_

Kaien felt his body grow cold and his vision blurred. He could not feel Mitsuki's hair between his fingers anymore. He could not feel anything for that matter. He only had his hearing left and her voice.

_That distant voice, please guide me back_

_Through echoes, it echoes deep within my soul_

_To smile when I'm crying_

_Free to start singing_

_The voice of the wind flows on by_

_In happiness and bitterness_

_I know I'll accept them and keep my head high_

_With my hand in your hand_

_We are connected_

_With courage, I'm sure they can reach_

Mitsuki could not feel her father's chakra anymore and a heart-breaking cry broke from her being as she hugged his cold hand to herself. There was no pulse.

Kaien left the world of the leaving, guided by his daughter's song a smile on his lips.

In her sorrow Mitsuki was surprised to feel a hand on her shoulder.

"I'm sorry child but we need to hurry now, we don't have much time left." Said Kureha voice unusually soft.

She did not feel ready. She did not have the time to mourn yet!

"I…" she croaked.

Kurama's voice interrupted her. "**It's ok kit, sleep, I will take care of the rest."** She felt his chakra rise and she did not resist.

She did not want to resist anymore, and she saw no more.

**A/N : The song comes from the Anime Kobato. It is "Ashita Kuru Hi". Ha this part nearly made me cry T.T **


	6. Chapter 6

**Naruto is Masashi Kishimoto's/ One Piece is Eiichirō Oda's. I only own my OCs and the original parts of the plot. **

**Naruto is Masashi Kishimoto's/ One Piece is Eiichirō Oda's. I only own my OCs and the original parts of the plot. **

Chapter 6: Of being hungry.

It had been a week since his death. 7 days 12 hours and 22 minutes to be exact. She kept count. She took her shinobi pouch and fastened it around her left thigh, she then sat, reflecting on what happened.

Right after his death, she had received his eyes. She did not remember the operation because she had let Kurama take control of her body while she was… unavailable for a lack of a better word to describe her state of mind at that time.

She had retreated and curled in a dark corner of her mind to wallow in her misery. It's her friend who took her out. Quite literally swatted her with his tail and told her what a pathetic kunoichi she made. That she was shaming her whole family and father by acting like a coward.

Well, she did not take it well. They brawled. Or she tried, but the size difference made it difficult really. He took her anger silently and when she was done, he guided – more like pushed - her outside of her mindscape.

She had a small smile on her face thinking of her friend. Her would never admit it, but he cared in his own special way. She snorted 'what a tsundere' she thought.

**'Brat.' **

She sent him her fondness and heard him grumble. 'yeah, tsundere alright.'

She touched the clean bandages around her eyes. Her father's gift. She sighted and stood up. It was time to leave this place.

"You're really leaving?" She heard whom she recognized as Kureha ask her. She nodded.

"Yes, I do not whish to stay more than necessary."

"And where will you go?"

"The next merchant boat is leaving for the Goa Kingdom in an hour, I bought a place in cabin."

Kureha looked at the direction it indicated and frowned. "Be carful and try to avoid the north side of the island."

Mitsuki tilted her head on the side in question.

"There is a noble's town there." The young kunoichi crinkled her nose at the answer and nodded.

"I will try… about my father and all, well," she bowed deeply, "thank you, for everything."

The woman huffed. "Don't bow to me gaki, I only owed your father a debt." Mitsuki straightened. Looking at the woman carefully. "Anyway, do not take the bandages off for two more weeks at least, understood?". Again, Mitsuki nodded. "Then get the fuck out of my home!... and take care." And like that the woman left her alone.

After a while she too left, taking the direction of the port.

While Mitsuki was blind, she was trained as a sensor and used a walking stick for echolocation, like a bat. Chakra was enough but sound helped create a more defined image of the world.

'Kurama?'

**'What?' **

'Thank you to you too. Without you I don't think… well things would have been way more difficult." She confessed.

**'Humf, shut up and let me sleep.'** He grumped and she felt him curl in a ball to nap.

She giggled at his reaction, again tsundere much?

She checked her seals one last time to make sure she had everything, fastened her tanto on her lower back and started running.

At shinobi speed she was at the port in less than 2 minutes. The boat was waiting for the passengers to embark. She made two shadow clones to henge as her parents to avoid questions. They weren't blind and would oversee the navigation.

She sat on her small bed and entered a state of profound meditation. Well there wasn't much to do so she decided to keep working on her chakra control. She directed her chakra slowly to pass each of her tenketsu one by one. This was a long process, but it did kill time alright and helped her improve her control. Still she had so much chakra this exercise took some efforts from her.

…

"We are near the island, Mitsuki-sama." Said a henged clone of the girl. Glad to hear that, Mitsuki prepared herself. Lucky for them there was a small port they could use.

Once docked, she dispelled her clones in a covered spot of the quay. Receiving her clones' memories, she knew there was a really big red boat that dwarfed hers on the quay. Spreading her chakra, she felt a lot of civilians gathered ahead. She supposed that a small town was ahead, maybe even a village.

She felt hungry and was starving for a something warm and tasty. While she was a pretty good shinobi, she was a poor cook and tended to set everything on fire. She blamed the Uchiha side of her that was a bit pyromaniac. Anyway, she decided that it was time to eat and started calmly walking.

Reaching a village, she stopped the first person she met and asked for direction. The old man she stopped oriented her to a bar-restaurant, the only one in the village, and even asked her if she needed help to get there since she was blind. She kindly declined and started walking again, mentally mapping the area.

She found the place, she did not know the name since the old man did not precise, but she felt that there was a lot of people inside. Concentrating on sounds, she deduced those people where simply drinking, even though it was lunch time. She shrugged, unperturbed.

Walking through the door silently she witnessed, more like heard, someone causing a scene speaking rudely to what was apparently the owner.

"Oï, what the fuck do you mean no alcohol! Isn't it a bar?! You bitch are you refusing to serve us!?" Screamed a man.

"I am sorry mister, but all of the bottles have been bought." This time it was a slightly trembling young woman's voice.

"Do you know who I'm, HUH!? I AM HIGUMA THE BANDIT! YOU BEST GET ME ALCOHOL OR ELSE!" he threatened.

Everyone else in the bar was listening. Mitsuki even felt a kid's presence next to the frightened woman. The other people inside were all silently looking at the angry man.

Mitsuki began to feel irritated. She just wanted to seat and eat, and this man was blocking her way and causing trouble. There were only men in this bar, apart from herself and the barmaid, but no one was reacting. She felt even more irritated by their inaction. She sighted.

"I am sorry but if you come back tonight I-" the woman tried to resonate with the bandit, but it did not work.

An angry vein popped up on his forehead, "Are you telling me to fucking WAIT!". Mitsuki felt him reach for something on his right side. From behind him she could smell the powder and supposed he had a gun. The owner was whimpering, and no one spoke. The shinobi felt some people tense.

Mitsuki had enough.

"Excuse me mister," her voice was soft but heard by all present, "could you please step aside? I'd like to eat."

Everyone gazes turned on her as the bandit turned around and stepped aside to have a better view of who dared stop him.

No one was prepared to see a delicate looking young girl with long black hair, bandaged eyes, a walking stick. She was dressed weirdly, black pants tucked inside flat sandals of the same color that reached her calf, dark sleeveless turtleneck top, pieces of grey armor on her arms and chest. She had bandages and a pouch on the left side of her tight and fingerless reinforced black gloves. Some noted the short sword she had on her back. She looked like a fighter, but at the same time she was undeniably a blind kid.

Another angry vein popped on Higuma's forehead. 'How dare this kid interrupt him, the cruelest bandit in Fushia island! Did she not know who he was?!'

Some people started to shift on their seat as if preparing themselves for action. This made Mitsuki pause for a bit.

"Brat" Mitsuki turned her head in his direction, showing him he had her attention, "do you not know WHO I AM!" He tried to intimidate her.

She snorted, "I am obviously blind not deaf."

Silence.

Then some people snorted and started laughing at the bandit that had been sassed by twelve years old.

"YOU BITCH!" He spitted out.

She tilted her head and smirked, "Is bitch the only swear word you know? If so, you really lack imagination mister."

"Damn the big bad bandit got told by a little girl." She heard someone comment from somewhere on her right, which was promptly followed by the snickers from his friends.

**'I taught you well kit. But you still need to improve your style.**' Added the fox like a proud father. It just made her smirk further.

The humiliated bandit had enough and tried to grab her, but she vanished to everyone's astonishment.

"I don't like being touched by strangers, please refrain from doing so mister." There she was on the counter calmly seating as if nothing happened. "And even then, trying to grab a kid you don't even know… do you have some weird tendencies?" Everyone present clearly understood that she was accusing him of pedophilia.

Well, everyone but one.

"Sugoï! How did you do that !" The blind girl heard the young kid she felt before approach her, bouncing excitedly on his feet and apparently forgetting all about the commotion.

She placed her index on her lips and smiled a bit, "S-E-C-R-E-T." The boy pouted not that she saw.

The bandit started turning red at what she said, new veins popping on his large forehead. His body trembled in fury. He reached for his gun, or at least he tried.

One moment his hand was reaching for his gun the next he had a sword against his throat and the girls holding it casually seating on his right shoulder.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you mister." Her young voice full of malice and infused with killing intent. "It's has been a while since I last killed… but I would not mind starting again with you." Her voice chilled many of the people present, some others seemed to be impressed or intrigued by her. The bandit in the contrary was sweating heavily at the suffocating atmosphere she created.

He gulped and raised his hands to show his intention of submitting. Humming, the young girl hopped off his shoulder, back to him and spoke again.

"Hey, kid?"

"Yes?" replied the young boy.

She smiled sweetly at him. "Close your eyes."

"Huh?" He tilted his head but immediately felt the familiar hands of his guardian covering his eyes. The woman watching everything happen in horror.

The moment Mitsuki stopped speaking she heard the click of a gun aimed at her. Before the bandit could press the trigger, she was behind him.

"I warned you didn't I, mister?" She received no answer as the head of the man fell on the ground in a wet sound, his body soon following. She sheathed her sword back, sword which had no blood on it.

Absolute.

Silence.

"KYAAAAA!"

The scream of the waitress seemed to be the wake-up call for everybody else.

"Holly shit! She fucking killed him!"

"She beheaded him like normal! Damn look at that clean cut."

"Holly mother of all things sacred! That is ONE FUCKING SCARY KID!"

Everyone kept adding their own opinion, but no one moved from their seats. 'Weird' Thought Mitsuki.

The owner had tears in her eyes, she was speechless at what just happen. She was glad she was still covering her ward's eyes, 'how could a child…'. Suddenly, the little girl turned to face her and deeply bowed.

"I am sincerely sorry for what you had to witness, miss. Please rest assured, I will immediately clean the mess."

'What?' Went through the mind of many of the men and the only woman present.

Mitsuki walked to the beheaded corpse. She summoned one of her bigger scrolls from one of the many storage seals on her arm, ignoring the sounds of surprise, and opened it on the floor showing another bigger seal drawn inside. She dispassionately grabbed the body and the head, showing a great deal of strength, and placed them on top of the seal.

One hand sign later and the man had vanished in a cloud of smock . Mitsuki stored her scroll in its previous seal. She nearly forgot the blood in her blindness. Well, she knew the perfect technique to get ride of the liquid.

They all watched her - apart from the little boy - do some weird signs with her hands and heard her whisper.

**"Hunter-nin secret technique: blood absorption." **

They saw as she expulsed a strange thick mist from her mouth, after a few seconds it dissipated and to the general surprise – whish really, they had a lot of them today – the blood was gone. Not even a stain was left! The floor even looked polished now!

The girl straightened and scratched the back of her head as if embarrassed.

Who. The. Hell. Was. This. Kid?!

"Hum, I am sorry to ask after all of the mess I caused." Said Mitsuki gesturing in the general direction of where the corpse was a few seconds ago. "But I really just came here to eat, promise! So, what's on the menu?" She asked innocently.

"Huh?" Was her only reply.

Mitsuki sighted.

'What a drag…' she thought.

**'Nara much?' snorted the fox.**

'Shut up.'


	7. Chapter 7

**Naruto is Masashi Kishimoto's/ One Piece is Eiichirō Oda's. I only own my OCs and the original parts of the plot. **

**A/N: well I wasn't satisfied by my last chapter to be honest. I feel like it went to fast in development. Tell me what you guys think, please. ^^ **

**Enjoy **

Chapter 7: Of pirates and anchor.

Shanks liked Foosha village like any other tranquil village of east blue. It was a place where he could drink booze with no marines to ruin the day. It didn't hurt that Makino was nice to look at. The fact that they regularly came back was also due to a little boy.

Makino's bar was where they met anchor for the first time. The kid was really entertaining. They all liked him. Luffy was always exited to hear about their adventures. And he was extremely funny to have around. The crew was pretty fond of him. He even tried to beat Lucky Roux on an eating battle. Hah! Poor kid fainted from food excess, but damn did he eat like a sea king! Everyone but Makino was surprised. Still Lucky won, obviously.

The day had started well, he woke up with a hangover, like many other days before, and had decided to go for another round of drinking. Maybe not his smartest idea, but hey! He liked booze too much to stop because of a little hangover.

Anyway, so the day had started well, they were drinking and joking - never mind that it was midday – when this wanabe bandit came in. To be honest he didn't even remember the name of the guy.

So, the poor sod began to rent about having no booze left – yeah sucks to be you man – and started to get angry at Makino. The puppy barked and barked and barked. He wondered if he was gonna have a headache because of him. He started zoning out when he felt her come in.

That was the strangest feeling he ever had – and he knew he wasn't the only one who felt her come in – like the air was rippling all around her. A warm blanket washing over them.

Shanks did not know that what they were feeling was Mitsuki extending her chakra to scan the room.

The captain of the red hair pirates heard her first before seeing her. A girl from the voice. When the puppy stepped aside, he was not the only one surprise to see a young adolescent. She was delicate but dressed in a way that was more fitting for a fighter and the first thing you noticed about her was that she was blind. It had him thinking. She was the source of the ripple in the air, he could sense it. He then noted the sword on her back, that had him wonder that maybe she wasn't as delicate as her physique hinted at.

All those clues were the reason why he – and by extension his crew – did not move when the puppy got angrier. Well, he did get sassed by a child. Heh! Poor sod. For sure the kid wasn't the slightest bit afraid of the bandit.

She moved as fast as someone trained by the CP-9 and that was strange because her technique was different from theirs. When she threatened the puppy, the energy she was emanating had turned cold and unforgiving. A big contrast from the warm fuzzy sensation from a few seconds ago. He saw many shivers because of her.

What he wasn't prepared for was how it all ended. Because damn! The kid beheaded the puppy like she was cutting open a fruit. She wasn't even phased by the blood. She even got ride of any evidence of murder! Like how?! She had strange techniques that made him think of a devil fruit.

And then, like nothing happened she asked for the menu.

Like. What?!

She was a mystery.

She was an interesting person.

Someone that held some kind of power. One that was familiar and yet so different.

He was Shanks, captain of the red hair pirate, a Yonko!

He thought he had seen it all. Explored every sea. That he wouldn't be surprised that easily. Certainly not in the weakest sea.

But here she was! Not weak at all. Proud and unflinching.

Shanks liked puzzles. For all he drank like no tomorrow, he liked to think he was a pretty smart guy.

And he was intrigued. He wanted to know more!

So, he started by laughing and that is how they met.

…

She was finally seated with a plat of meat with vegetables and a glass of juice of some kind in front of her. After a loud laugh on her left everyone started to chat again ignoring her. Laughing as if she hadn't just killed a man. She though it would have been a dumper for them but apparently not.

The waitress was still wary of her obviously and had kept the little boy from approaching her.

She shrugged internally. It was her fault for being so radical with the bandit. She simply couldn't find it in herself to regret his death and well, she did warn him. It wasn't her fault he had shitty survival instinct. Not even able to know when he was outclassed.

While she ate in peace and silence, she felt some gazes on her. She couldn't pinpoint them. She was tense. Her father had told her she couldn't judge people based on their chakra anymore. From their information, their where extremely powerful people in the world that did not use chakra.

She had her suspicions on who was here going by her clones' memories, but… why east blue? This was the weakest sea!

She sighted, well it was none of her business. She was here to eat, visit and heal. Then, well she did not plan her next course of action. She would see where her fate took her.

She felt two men approach her and seat on each side of her. She smelt smoke on the her left and booze and her right. She did not like being in such proximity of possible enemies. She relaxed her body and stayed alert.

"So are you going to be creeps and keep looking at me while I eat, or are you going to introduce yourself?"

The men snorted.

"Maa, no need to be like that. We just wanted to say hi. Name's Ben and the other one on you right is Shanks." Said the man now identified as Ben.

"Well, shit." Was the only reply Mitsuki could give. Internally she was freaking out. A yonko. A freaking yonko! Damn her luck.

**'Only you, kit.'** Snorted the fox. **'at least if you fight, this time it's gonna be interesting.'** He finished with a bit of excitement.

'really' She mentally deadpanned. 'I am maybe facing a yonko and his crew of unknown power, and that is all you can think about?'

**'I am bored.'** Was his excuse.

'… fair enough', she found it was a legit one.

She heard them snort – they did a lot of that today – at her reaction.

"Yeah we get that a lot kiddo." She had the feeling that they were both smiling. That was a good sign, right? Right?

She cleared her throat and slightly bowed her head on her right in greeting. She was raised with good manners.

"Uzumaki-Uchiha Mitsuki, it's nice to meet you Red Hair Shanks." She turned on her left. "You as well Ben Beckman."

"Oh?" Shanks lifted an eye brow in wonder, not that she could see anyway.

"I always make sure to know who to avoid. But it seems that my luck ran out today, huh?" she answered with a bit of humor.

"Maa, don't know about that. It honestly depends." Said the captain.

She tilted her head. "Depends on what?"

"On your intentions regarding my crew." Replied the man seriously.

She gasped and went rigid when she felt a foreign chakra press on her back. She instinctivly raised her own chakra in reaction and could breathe again but there was still the feeling of something pressing on her. She relaxed and raised her chakra higher, mixing a bit a Kurama's with hers to add effect. By Kami how did this man do that!?

"I only came in this bar to eat, Red hair, nothing else." She hoped he would believe her.

As soon as she said those words the tension cleared. She lowered her chakra again but kept it at the ready.

**'What an interesting human.' **

'What was that?' Mitsuki wanted to shiver at the oppressive feeling she had felt.

**'I have an idea, but it would be crazy. I will explain later.'**

Ben whistled and Shanks felt his other brow raise in surprise. Many crew members were astonished.

"Damn, kid counteracted the captain's haki!" Someone whispered-yelled.

This caught Mitsuki's attention.

Benn was frankly surprised by the girl next to him. He turned his gaze to his captain and wanted to facepalm immediately. He knew this face. This expression. It just spelled trouble. Now he could only hope it was the good kind of trouble. Oh, well, he mentally shrugged.

Shanks couldn't stop himself from broadly smiling at the girl. Damn she was full of surprises. It just made him want to know more.

"It wasn't nice, Shanks-san." Said Mitsuki.

"Heh, I'm a pirate, I don't do nice."

"…" She sighted and decided to turn back to her plate… which she could not find anymore. Huh? She used her chakra again to feel her surroundings, this time Shanks and Benn perked up.

There!

She leaned over the counter and grasped the young boy by the scruff. "Really?" She deadpanned. There was the boy hanging with her plate in hand. She had been so distracted that she did not feel him approach. She frowned. She was hungry.

Shanks and Ben both laughed at the situation but kept a careful eye on her, just in case.

Mitsuki sighted, come on, she would never hurt a kid half her size! She sat him in front of her.

"So, what's your name kid?"

He swallowed down her food and loudly replied. "Luffy!"

"How old are you?"

"I am six and you mommy face?"

She sweat dropped at the surname and took care to ignore the crew's laughter. Meanies all of them!

"Call me Mitsuki. I am twelve."

"Eh! You're old Miyuki!"

She twitched. "Mi-tsu-ki." She repeated still ignoring the pirates laughing their ass off.

"Yeah, Mibuki!" Replied an enthusiast Luffy.

She heard the fox demon snicker.

Her shoulders dropped. "You know what, how about you call me Miki, huh? It's nice and short, just like you."

"Ah! Miki! Why did you not say so sooner!" Complained Luffy.

"Just so you know, if I could I would be rolling my eyes at you Luffy. Here, drink some juice, it might help hydrate your brain, who knows?"

"Oh! Thanks Miki-chan!"

"Miki-chan?" She sighted in defeat. "Never mind. Still better than mommy face. I mean rude much?" she muttered with a small pout. Of course, Shanks and Ben heard her.

They were both mighty entertained by them. Mitsuki, her, went in deep thoughts.

'Luffy is the same age as Naruto… how are you guys doing out there huh? Minato, Naruto, are you both happy?'

She felt a small hand reaching for her face.

Luffy was intrigued by the nee-san in front of him. she was hiding her eyes behind those bandages. She had weird name and weird clothes, but she could teleport and made the mean man vanish. He wanted to play with her, but how could they play if she had bandages on her eyes. It was ridiculous!

Mitsuki grabbed his hand before it could touch her face. She made sure not to exert pression, not wanting to accidently snap his bones and kindly held it.

"Luffy, please don't do that, ne?" She smiled at the child.

Luffy frowned and tried reach for the bandages with his other hand but she grabbed it too. He pouted.

"Get them off." He demanded like a petulant child.

She frowned and released his hands, taking care to lean back as to avoid him.

"No."

"Maa, Luffy you can't ask her to take the bandages off, buddy." Grunted Benn having observed the whole exchange.

"Uhhh!? But how can we play if she can't see!" He replied crossing his arms in defiance.

Mitsuki didn't understand him. "Play? You want to play with me? What a strange idea."

"It's you who is strange Miki-chan!" She blushed slightly. "What's up with your eyes?!" Said Luffy pointing a finger at her face.

"Luffy!" Makino appeared, having observed everything. She was a bit warry of the girl, but she couldn't be bad if she let Luffy go away with stealing her food. She was dumbfounded by her ward's words. Usually he would not act like that. But she understood that it was the first kid he met that did not ignore him or ran away from him. "You're being rude! Let the poor child alone!" She huffed and promptly bonked his head. He pouted. Makino placed a new plate in front of the young girl.

"Here you go my dear. Don't let Luffy eat your food next time, ok?" She said smiling. Mitsuki bowed and started eating again in silence.

Or maybe not.

"Play with me!"

Mitsuki sighted, "I'm sure the other kids in the village would not mind playing with you, Luffy."

He scowled. "They don't want to! There is no one to play with."

"Huh? Why? Overall, you're a nice kid, even if you could use some manners." Mitsuki was confused.

Luffy shrugged. Makino took pity of him answered in a soft voice. "They don't like him much. Luffy is a bit special. He has… too much energy."

Mitsuki nodded in understanding, being reminded of the time she spent at the academy. "Yeah, kids can be cruel to what they don't understand. Don't let them get you down Luffy." She told him gently. The young boy looked at her hopefully.

"So, you're gonna play with me?"

"Huh…" Mitsuki fidgeted on her seat, which had the adults curious as to why. "I never played with other kids before."

"WHAT?!" Was Luffy's and Shanks' reaction. Many were surprised even Benn had to take his cigarette out of his hanging open mouth.

Mitsuki suddenly found her plate really fascinating.

"What the hell kind of childhood did this kid have!?" Said someone, vocalizing the question of many. She shrugged. She never minded before, she was first a shinobi and then a child.

Luffy felt outraged that someone never played. That was not ok at all! She will play!

"Then you need to play with me, Miki-chan! I will teach you!"

"Ah but I did play games with my family before!" She tried to ease them all. She felt they were kind of shocked by what she had said.

"Really kid? Thanks god you had them to play catch with you. A little bit more and you would have made me wonder about your possibly tragic childhood." Joked someone in the room.

"Catch? Catch what?" She tilted her head.

Everyone replied. "A ball obviously!" like Duh.

"What for?" Mitsuki was genuinely confused.

"…"

Shanks then asked. "What did you play before, then?"

She brightened. "Oh well there was 'Guess the poison', 'avoiding kunais and other death traps', 'The murderous shadow', 'silent escape of death'. Well you know the usual." She shrugged.

"THAT IS NOT THE USUAL!" Screamed everyone with round eyes and shark teeth.

She snorted, 'civilians', and went back to eating.

"DON'T BE SO CASUAL ABOUT IT!"

She turned to them all and softly said, "drama queens." Before facing her plate again.

Someone had enough.

"That's it. I'm done with the bullshit! Makino-san! More booze please!"

"Right away!" Answered the woman.

Shanks was laughing his ass off.

'what an interesting girl.'


	8. Chapter 8

**Naruto is Masashi Kishimoto's/ One Piece is Eiichirō Oda's. I only own my OCs and the original parts of the plot. **

Chapter 8: Of Red Hair.

Mitsuki sighted in satisfaction, her stomach filled with a pretty good dish. The pirates were still here, obviously. But Shanks and Ben were busy teasing little Luffy.

Mitsuki had time to think. She needed to be alone to speak with Kurama. But she didn't know if there was any inn in the village and she didn't want to venture in a town full of nobles.

Well, she could always ask.

"Ne, owner-san."

The woman turned her attention to her and replied, "Oh my! Just call me Makino, Mitsuki-chan."

Mitsuki nodded, not minding the use of her name either. "Is there an inn in this village?"

"Ah, sorry my dear, but only the town has inns. Foosha is too small and the people who come to this island prefer to go there." The question had the woman wonder about something. "Where are you and your parents staying for the night?"

"I am an orphan." Said Mitsuki not minding the question at all. "Well, I suppose that I will have to camp in the forest." She shrugged, she did not care since she was used to living in the jungle, and well, she _was_ a Shinobi. Survival was in her genes. She simply would have preferred to sleep under an actual roof since she was blind for a few more days.

"Absolutely out of question young lady!" Replied the angry owner which surprised the young girl a great deal.

"Huh?"

"You will NOT be sleeping outside in the middle of beasts and bandits! You can stay here for now, I do not mind you sleeping with Luffy and I." Makino was not gonna let it pass. There was no way she would let a kid, never mind that she killed a bandit earlier, spending the night outside at the mercy of the elements and who know what. And, yeah, she knew she had a soft spot for orphans, sue her!

Mitsuki frowned. She did not like being ordered, even less by someone she just met. She knew Makino-san only had the best in mind for her, but Mitsuki was a shinobi for god's sake. An adult by the law of her village, a child in the eyes of outsiders.

Bowing in respect she calmly refused. "I must refuse Makino-san. I do not fancy the idea of spending the night here. Not that I don't like your bar, but I will need calm and I am pretty sure tonight is going to be all but calm with those men." She said pointing a thumb behind her.

Makino's frown deepened and Mitsuki stiffened knowing she would not let it go. Seems that it was time for her to leave. It is only due to her instincts that she avoided Shanks's arm with a shunshin in direction of where she knew was the door, body poised in a fighting stance with a kunai in each hand.

"Oy, no need to react like that, Miki-chan!" Loudly said the captain.

The young kunoichi frowned, putting away her weapons with a dexterity that elicited some raised eyebrows, she relaxed her stance.

"Sorry, reflexes." She said with a shrug.

"Well that's some damn good reflexes you have girly!" Said a crew member.

"Thanks, I guess? Did you need anything, Shanks-san?"

"Mah, stop being so serious Miki-chan" She wanted to roll her eyes at the use of the name made up by Luffy and her. "How about you accept Makino's offer?" finished the man.

It was Mitsuki's turn to frown, "I refuse for reasons I made clear, Shanks-san."

"Maa, don't be like that, what is a little bit of noise really?"

"Again, it is a no." She crossed her arms.

The pirate's eyes glinted. "Huh? Really? And here I thought you wanted to know more about the thing I used on you earlier." He added nonchalantly but couldn't stop a smirk from forming when he saw her stiffen a bit. He knew she was interested by his haki, and to be honest he too was interested by her energy.

**'Brat, stay, you and I need to hear what he has to say.'** Intervened the demon.

Mitsuki wanted to scowl at the night to come. She would need a lot of patience. Shanks was a crafty man from her analyze.

"Very well. In exchange of answers I will stay a night here."

The captain grinned. "Nope!"

"What?"

"You will spend all of your nights here for as long as my crew and I are on this island."

"The hell-!"

**"Brat, we need that information!" **

She deflated and the captain had a victorious grin, "It is a deal. You better fulfil your side of it." She really wanted to glare at him, she could feel his smugness from here.

…

"And then? And then?"

"Well you see the captain was really drunk, so he started to strip in front of the sea king and challenged him to a sumo fight!"

"Gyahahahahahaha!"

"Wait for the best part. So, he was half naked in front of an angry sea king when Ben ca-…"

Mitsuki, for the hundredth time tonight was wondering what the hell she was doing here, surrounded by drinking pirates and a child – which really Makino-san don't leave Luffy up so late at night in the company of drunk men! – and of course the captain that didn't want to let her change table and made sure to keep her beside him.

"Gyahahahahahahahahaha!"

Well at least Luffy was having fun. To be honest she didn't mind them that much. It was just that after spending 6 years with her late father she wasn't used to people surrounding her anymore.

Luffy made her think of Naruto a lot more than she had like to and simply because they were the same age. He made her remember of life before the attack. Of the people who passed away and those she would never see again. Like her until recently, Naruto only had Minato left as family. She wished from the bottom of her heart that they were happy. At least, she thought in recomfort, they had friends to help them.

She felt Kurama's chakra warm her from her belly to the rest of her being. She smiled. Yes, she wasn't alone. There were still the two of them. She sent him all the fondness she felt for him.

At first, she had thought of him as a burden. A sort of punishment for what happened to her mother. It was silly. But she was only six at the time. For all her genius and maturity, she knew that sometimes she did act her age. Time passed and she had been tired of feeling this way. She had told her father about how she felt, and he had patiently listened to her. Like always.

Four years ago, she had begun to reach.

Reach for the fox inside of her. She wanted to know who and not what she housed. At first, she didn't want to be friend with him. She just wanted to understand him better and maybe come to a peace agreement between the two of them because she did not fancy the thought of losing control during a training session with her father.

She visited him, and the more she did the faster she concluded that the two of them needed to be friend. So that is what she did, and they became friend, family now. And damn was she proud of it because it hadn't been easy at all. The fox was stubborn, but she was determined. And nothing could win against a determined Uchiha even less an Uzumaki.

**'Freaking stalker' **

'You know you love me' she teased eyes twinkling.

**'Tch, focus brat.' **

"-ki-chan! MIKI-CHAN!"

Mitsuki swiftly turned her head in Luffy's direction. "Oh, sorry Luffy. What were you saying?" she asked contrite.

The boy huffed and replied. "Everyone told a funny story, it's your turn!"

"… huh? A fun story…"

An arm came around her shoulders and she kept herself from reacting badly when she was pushed against Shanks side. The man was a touchy person. It seems like he couldn't help himself. Mitsuki was so unused to physical contact from people other that her father that she had to remind herself that it wasn't an attack and stop her ingrained reflexes of plunging a kunai in the offending arm.

The captain was grinning, nothing unusual. "So girly, got anything funny to share with your audience?" he said looking down at her.

The girl pushed herself away from him. A fun story? A fun story… Well she did have some, but she wasn't sure she wanted to share them.

She huffed amused. Never mind, she could feel their curiosity and she didn't have the heart to disappoint Luffy.

"Hum let me think for a minute, ne?" They sheered, happy and wanting to know more about the girl.

"So, this one took place when I was four, so eight years ago. It was one of those rare days where I didn't have training. Sadly, I was bored. I let me tell you that a bored Uzumaki kid is never a good idea. Ever. I went to look for something to elevate my boredom, anything really. That is when I saw the elders of my clan pass by me. Believe it or not, but one of them had the gals to sneer down at me!... Now a bored Uzumaki is a bad idea. But a bored and vengeful Uzumaki? You better start running."

Luffy started to snicker and many smirked in anticipation.

"Why did he sneer at you?" Asked the boy in an afterthought. Well his question had merit, they didn't see why the elders of her family would sneer at a four-year-old kid.

"Because father, an Uchiha, married mother, an Uzumaki, out of love and against the will of the elders. I was the result of his defiance against them and only had half of the blood of an Uchiha. It did not matter to them that mother was part of a clan herself, they were all for blood purity and strengthening the clan. They saw me a stain they couldn't get ride of."

The pirates frowned. Only nobles spoke about clan and blood purity.

"I don't get it." Said Luffy with a complicated expression.

Mitsuki laughed lightly and ruffled his hair, "Clan politic is boring. To make it simpler they did not like me because of my blood."

She paused, drinking a bit from her glass of apple juice.

"So back to the story. I had decided to prank them. Now, I was smart enough to know I needed help." She smirked there. "And who better than another Uzumaki to help me? So, I rallied aunt Kushina to my cause, and it wasn't difficult to do so after telling her about those stuck up elders…"

Mitsuki went on with her story, laughing with everyone around the table and remembering things about her childhood she had nearly forgotten. She felt happy. Many were dying of laughter.

"…In the end, my godfather had to save my ass. He disguised me as a gift for my aunt, who was his wife. Please don't ask me how we did that. Even I am not sure, Minato had always been a genius in stealth and infiltration. Kushina had escaped by the roof a moment before the drenched and glittering old hag came running inside his office. Damn she was screaming like a banshee, something about being invaded by enemies wearing orange jumpsuit and green fur. Minato sent her to a Yamanaka, our psychologists, to get her checked. The elders could not get ride of the paint and glitter for a whole month. We called them the old fairy glitter."

They all were laughing or at least grinning for Ben, at her story. Luffy was rolling on the floor.

"Man, wouldn't like to be a victim of one of your pranks, Miki-chan" Said Yassop.

"Is everyone going to call me that from now on?" She wondered aloud half exasperated half amused. Shanks' arm came back around her shoulders.

"Well got' admit that it suits you girly" Said the grinning man.

"…I give up, no matter what I say you guys are never going to listen anyway."

They all laughed again and Mitsuki smirked satisfied. It wasn't so bad finally. They were fun to be around.

**'You're getting side tracked, kit' **

Damn! Kurama was right! She frowned. Shanks really was crafty.

But she didn't feel like interrupting, she did not want to, she liked the atmosphere. She had patience, she could wait.

…

How? Just how?

No better, WHY?

Mitsuki wanted to facepalm.

The crew had partied hard last night and were all hungover in the bar.

She had spent the whole night with them and left for five minutes to wash and that is what happens?

"SPIT IT OUT LUFFY! SPIT IT OUT!" Screamed Shanks, shaking the poor boy by the ankles.

Mitsuki decide to sit and wait, really there was nothing she could do right now. She heard something falling and wanderer what happened when everyone started to scream in surprise. She turned to Ben.

"What happened?" The man turned his head to her reminding himself that she was blind and so could not see want just happened. "Seems like Luffy ate the captain's devil fruit. His legs extended while the captain was shaking him."

"Oh. Now he really is an anchor… but it's not a good thing, right?" She said with a straight face.

He snorted.

…

"Devil Fruits really are ridiculous, ne?" Remarques Mitsuki after everyone had calmed down. "Gomu Gomu no mi… how unexpected." She snorted. "And now you really can't swim anymore." She flicked his forehead with her index. His didn't seem to feel it. "You are a rubber man, so it became harder to hurt you, huh." Luffy grinned at that. 'I wonder…' she flicked him again but this time with a chakra infused finger. Luffy's head jerked back instantly, surprising her.

"ITEEEE!" Cried out the boy.

**'how interesting.'** Muttered the fox.

"I am sorry Luffy, I didn't think it would hurt you!" Apologized Mitsuki a bit panicked.

"Hurt?" Asked Ben. "You are rubber Luffy, how can a flick on the forehead hurt?" His keen eyes resting on the young shinobi.

"Miki-chan's flick really hurts!" He was nursing his forehead with his hands and had big fat tears running down his face.

The young girl was starting to feel really guilty for making the young boy cry. "I'm sorry Luffy, really. Gomen ne?" she clasped her hands in front of her face.

She heard Shanks' boisterous laugh. "Maa, Luffy? Is a little flick enough to get you down?" he teased.

Luffy didn't take it well and started to scream at the man, starting an argument about who is the manliest here. She sweat dropped. That argument reminded her of someone though, something about green and youthfulness?… a shudder ran through her back. 'Yeah, better forget that.'

She retreated and went to Makino.

"Ne, Makino-san?"

The woman turned away from the argument to look at the twelve years old. "Yes?"

"Do you know any doctor in this village?" she asked. She could to take off her bandages, but she wanted someone to shake her eyes one last time to be sure.

"Well…" Makino only knew of one doctor and he lived in the city.

She heard Ben coming from behind, the smell of cigars always accompanying him. "Need a doc, girly?"

She turned to face him and pointed at her face. "I want to take them off, but I need someone to check my eyes one last time to be sure everything is fine."

He exhaled. "I am sure the captain wouldn't mind you using our doc." He then turned to the still arguing red head. "Oy! Captain!"

The man stopped teasing Luffy and turned his attention to his first mate. "What is it Ben?"

"The girly needs a doc for her eyes, mind lending her our doc?" He replied nonplussed.

"…" Shanks posed and observed the young girl.

"Sure." The man shrugged but was internally curious. "Hey Sam! You got a patient to see, get your lazy ass here!" He shouted.

"Urgh, don't shout Cap' I got a freaking headache." Groaned someone from behind Shanks.

Sam was quite unassuming at first glance. Tall lanky man with dirty blond hair and brown eyes, a man in his thirties. He stood up from his spot having heard everything he needed to and walked in direction of the girl.

Mitsuki took it all in stride, she wasn't going to refuse their kind gesture. They sat facing each other's. She felt her eyebrow twitch in irritation.

"Why are you overring around us? Skanks-san, Luffy." She asked slightly irritated.

"Maa, just a bit of curiosity, Miki-chan. Don't mind us." Said Shanks patting her back, Luffy simply nodded.

Sam ignored them, used to his captain's behavior. "So, what's wrong with your eyes?" He needed to know to help her.

"I received a new pair of eyes two months ago. The doc said I should be able to take them of around now, but I just want to be careful and have another professional opinion."

"Huh, unusual. Must have been quite the skillful doctor to know how to perform such a chirurgic. Reconnecting the optic nerve isn't easy." Sam wondered who did it.

Mitsuki nodded in agreement not adding anything. She felt many eyes on them. Carefully, Sam removed the bandages from around her eyes.

They revealed the rest of her features as delicate and noble as they imagined it. Her eyes where shut and long lashed crusted because of how long they were closed.

"Someone get me a towel and warm water." Ordered Sam.

Makino brought everything next to him. Delicately, the man rubbed her eyes clean the crust.

"Ok, kiddo. From what I understand. It's been two months. So, take it easy when you open them."

Mitsuki barely opened her eyes before closing them immediately, the light being too strong. She tried again and after a will she could fully open them. Though, her vision was blurry. She frowned.

"It's ok if you can't see perfectly, give your eyes the time to adapt." She felt a wet towel over her eyes. "Ok, let them take a pause and try again." She nodded.

Taking off the towed she focused on the face in front of her. His features became clearer until she could finally perfectly see him and her surroundings.

"Ok follow my finger now." They made sure her sight was alright.

"You are alright girly, the optic nerves are working nicely," smiled the doc, "that was a talented doc that helped you for sure. Just be careful with any light the time fore your sight to adapt, ok."

"Yes, thank you very much, doctor-san." She bowed deeply.

He snorted. "Sam is enough."

She an arm around her shoulder and heard Shanks laugh. "Congrat' on getting you sight back, Miki-chan! Ok let's party everyone! For Miki's eyes!" Everyone cheered in agreement.

Mitsuki only had her eye for one thing. She reached to tread her fingers through red hair and the man looked at her in surprise because she wasn't the type to deliberately touch people. She seemed fascinated.

"They really are red." She muttered loud enough for him to hear.

"Well of course, otherwise there would be no Red Hair crew." Smiled the captain.

She smiled a first true smile in two months. One that illumined her whole face and had everyone look at her in wonder. Shanks's eyes widened and she spoke.

"It's a beautiful color."

It was her mother's hair after all.


End file.
